How to Leverage Customer Reviews for eCommerce Merchandising

It's no secret that reviews of your products can go a long way in shaping your customer's experience. Today's online shopper relies heavily on what their peers are saying. So, positive reviews add a sense of credibility, trustworthiness, and dependability to your brand. This in turn plays a huge role in informing their purchase decisions. In this post, we explore how you can leverage customer reviews for eCommerce merchandising to boost user engagement and conversions.



1. Empower Your eCommerce Store with Positive Reviews

First things first: you'll need to come up with a plan to generate and promote positive eCommerce customer reviews. This can be done in a few ways:

• Call-to-action prompt: Strategically place review prompts to encourage feedback after customers have made a purchase. Email marketing and confirmation emails are a great opportunity for this.
• Incentivizing reviews: Offer discounts or loyalty points in exchange for leaving a review.
• Highlighting top-rated products: Create a dedicated section for best-reviewed items on your website.
• Curating user-generated content: Share customer photos and videos featuring your products.

Vacuum brand Bissell incentivizes customers to leave reviews by hosting a sweepstake.



2. Address Negative Reviews with Professionalism and Solutions

As unfair and unpleasant as negative eCommerce customer reviews can be, they're also an opportunity. It's a way to stay on the pulse of customer sentiment. Most importantly, it's a direct recommendation about what you can improve to earn more customers in the future. Here are some ways to approach and handle negative reviews:

• Monitor reviews regularly: Stay vigilant to promptly address any negative feedback.
• Respond promptly and empathetically: Acknowledge customer concerns and provide solutions.
• Turn dissatisfied customers into advocates: Offer personalized incentives to win back their trust.
• Showcase improvements: Demonstrate how you've addressed issues raised in previous reviews.

Shoe brand Allbirds takes the time to respond to every comment on their Twitter page, often offering customized support to help resolve the issue and ensure the customer is happy.



3. Amplify Your Marketing Efforts with Customer Reviews

Another way to incorporate an eCommerce customer review strategy into your merchandising is to focus on your marketing plan. How can you use marketing tactics to encourage and promote positive reviews? Here are some ideas:

• Incorporate reviews in advertisements: Use compelling quotes and ratings in your ads.
• Utilize social proof: Display snippets of positive reviews prominently on product pages.
• Leverage reviews in email campaigns: Include customer testimonials to boost email engagement.
• Showcase success stories: In addition to reviews from customers, incorporate testimonials and case studies from happy customers.

We have a dedicated page for customer success stories on the Fast Simon website. This social proof is a straightforward way to share the experiences of happy customers.



Rapid eCommerce Growth Through Review Integration

Bolster your eCommerce merchandising strategy with any of the tips we've discussed—from incentivizing reviews to showcasing improvements to leveraging reviews in your email marketing campaigns. By effectively leveraging customer reviews, you can build trust, enhance your brand's reputation, and boost conversions.

» Personalization is key: Discover why it's important to personalize your customer reviews